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H0 LME Dam HOLL NGS EADY V\ ASH GTO N PETERS, PHOTOLITHOGRAPHER WASHINGTON D c @einen `tate5 gint-ent @Hite Letters Patent No. 74,322, d ated February l1, 1868.

. IMPROVEMENT IN TRUNK-LABELS.

tite tlgemle referat tu in that ttter Vitat-mt mit mtttett at; ttt' im.

To ALL wnoM IT MAY CONCERN.; i Be it known that vl', STEPHEN W. DoWNnY, of Piedmont, in the county of M irneral,` and State of` West Vir-- ginie, have invented'certan new and useful Improvomcntsin the llethod-offttaching the-Address lto Trunks, y Freight and Express-Boxes, Cans, 8vo., by means offa slate properly attachedt tliesainerund I do hereby declare thatthe folloving is a full,clear,' and enact .description 'ofthe sume, referenc'e`being had to the annexed drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereonfmaliing' part off-:this spcci iicationand in which- Figure 1 is a plan view 'of a section of the top of the trunkyvithjmyfdevice attached, and the hinged top and slide'removcd.

Figure 2 is the same withthe top closed. A A Figure 3 isa base of the framefor the slate, showing the means-by which it'niaybe attached tothe trunk. v

Figure 4 is a sectional'view through the centre of the trunk', with my d 'e'vicez-attached. l

Figure 5 is a trunk,` with my device .attached to the top v Figure 6'is an eind view of a trunlqshowing my device.

The object of my invention consxstsin providxng'a simple and lpractical dieansfby. Av hich any address that vmay be desired can readily -be applied to altr unk, valise,box, can, or busketfand, nfhenoccasion requires`,'can

readily be obliterated in order that the saule may' be changed. -To accomplish'- t`li s','"I use an ordinary slate or like substance. I prefer slate'for the purpos,rowng simply'to the fact-that anyv'tvritig that may be placed ou 'the same canso readily be obliterated. The slate I place in ai'fsdita'ble frame-which is providedvvvithprojecting lips or cleats to retain the 'slate in suitable position. his frame may be cast-with thebase-plate, or,uhen made 0f wood or sheet metal, can be irmlysccured thereto. i V V I i l L To the base or frame, I 'securely hinge a top, in which'there'islsecured, .by `suitable means, a glass, its snrface being protected by rods and a sliding top. The casethus constructed, I insert in the top o1-lend of thej trunk, valise, freightbox,.or can. i l l v Y t n The greatadvantage of this arrangement v'will readilysuggest itself .to all who are inany way familiar with the nsesfor-which it`is intended. Scarcelyan individual can be found ',who'has not experienced, at one time or another, 4.great inconvenience in consequence of the failure tohave at hand a suitable means whereby a desired address could be attached tothe trunk or other article. Cards in the formof. tagsaregenerally used for the purpose, the same beingtacked or 'tied to the trunk.. These methods are both most objectionable. Rail; road men are proverbial for` the careless and rough manner in whichthey handlebnggage, and it naturally fol* lows that the address, whcnwiitten on cards or pieces-of paper and tackedfor ti,ed j: oV the trunk,is exceedingly insecure. The same or even greater inconvenience is experienced with freghtboyres and cans, which are con stantly being shipped to and fr o on the cars.` My improvement i`s especially applicable to cans that creto be used in the milk and oyster business. i

T o enable others-*skilled in the art to make and use my invention, Iwill proceed to describe its construction' and operation. 2' A is Van ordinary trunk. In a suitable opening cnt in the top or end 4ot' the trunk, I insert the buse, B, of

the tablet-case. This base,.B, may be provided with cleats b b, by which it may be secured to the trunk.; or, the opening may notbe cut entirely through. the trunk, then the base, B, can readily be secured hy m'eans of shuts rscrews inserted through the holcs b b. This base, B, may be made of cast iron,'sheet metal, wood, or other suita able material. When made of cast iron, there is cast with it a frame, C, or'whenof sheet metal or Wood,the frame C'is firmly secured thereto by any suitable means'. This frame C is provided with projecting lips Vvor other suit-1 able means for retaining the slate in proper position. ,D is a slate that is inserted in the frame. This frame C may be constructed with suitable appliances for retaning'a sponge and pencil.V E is a hinged top, and is sa `constructed-that there can V'readily be inserted a. glass, F. Across this top' E there are inserted rodsorwi-res e,

to protect the glass.v In the top, above the wires e e, are'grooves gg, in which canbe inserteda sliding top, G, In inserting the frame inA the trunk, the'opening in the latter will have to be sufficiently wide to allow a space for thc odge of the top to rest in when the same is opened-or thrown up, asshown in fig. .5; Over this Opening I place a spring-plate, H, which is secured to tho trunk, and is of width sufficient to cover the entire space, and also Lto have a secu'rcbearing on lthe top'E. This spring ansi'vers a double purpose; it not only covers the space for the open top to rest in, but also aids inretainingjhe top E in proper position. I is n. lock attached to the trunk, and so arranged that its-bolt will enter the top E, and securelyfsten the same.

Having thus fully described rriy inventionm'vhst claim as new therein, and desire to secure byvLettel-s Patent of the United States, is

71. Inserting in the body'of n. trunk, box, or cen, s. tabietlcase, when thesanieis provided with a. slate, and

the whole is constrcted'nd rranged substantially as dseribed. v

The spring H5 in combinationA with @tablet-case, whenwthe same is -constructed andnrranged'substantially` as. described. A

3. The Combination of the tablet-case end slate, when theV form-en is provided lwith a. sliding top," and the whole is constrncted and arranged substantially as described. l i v Y I-n testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses. STEPHEN W1 DOWNEY. Witnesses:

EDW'IN JAMES,

- JOHN D. Broos.'- 

